Abstract

Background: Whether prophylactic tracheotomy can shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) in high risk patients eligible for lung cancer resection. The objective was to compare duration of MV and outcome in 39 patients randomly assigned to prophylactic tracheotomy or control. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled, single-center trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01053624). The primary outcome measure was the cumulative number of MV days after operation until discharge. The secondary outcome measures were the 60 days mortality rate, the ICU and the hospital length of stay, the incidence of postoperative respiratory, cardiac and general complications, the reventilation rate, the need of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), the need of a tracheotomy in control group and the tracheal complications. Results: The duration of MV was not significantly different between the tracheotomy group (3.5±6 days) and the control group (4.7±9.3 days) (P=0.54). Among patients needing prolonged MV >4 days, tracheotomy patients had a shorten duration of MV than control patients (respectively 11.4±7.1 and 20.4±9.6 days, P=0.04). The rate of respiratory complications were significantly lower in the tracheotomy group than in the control group (28% vs. 51%, P=0.03). Six patients (15%) needed a postoperative tracheotomy in the control group because of a prolonged MV >7 days. Tracheotomy was associated with a reduced need of NIV (P=0.04). There was no difference in 60-day mortality rate, cardiac complications, intensive care unit and hospital lengh of stay. No death was related with the tracheotomy. Conclusions: Prophylactic tracheotomy in patients with ppo FEV1 <50% who underwent thoracotomy for lung cancer resection provided benefits in terms of duration of prolonged MV and respiratory complications but was not associated with a decreased mortality rate, ICU and hospital lengh of stay and non-respiratory complications.